REVIEWS:
MereC55: Raynare is going to change and get her break soon. I cannot rush this, however.
furvustocs: Name the chapter and the typo, and I will see about fixing it.
: Thanks for the positive review, and to answer you, when corruption reaches 100%, it causes the [Berserk] status effect. So yeah, they go bonkers.
SpartanKing J: Aye, I have plans. Granted, I also learned someone could develop MORE Sub-Species Balance Breakers, but one is pretty much the limit 90% of peeps have, with an additional one being mighty rare.
Misaka Phenex: A lot of revs, lass. A lot of them. Still, thanks for them.
Xerzo LotCN: Long review again, buddy, but here goes nothing. Whilst you also have a point, my original point still stands. I mean, could you cannon Issei is stronger than my version here? Also, sorry to disappoint, but this arc is not really meant to have big dungeons, more like one for the set-up of a future character. Additionally, WIS is separate from INT. And ACC doesn't amount wholly to control. Rias is learning something new, and she has issues controlling and maintaining it, hence the issues with ACC.
Booklovinkitten" You are right, that is indeed why you triple-check. As for the inventor? Trust me, he's some freaky guy.
Kgufgo: THANK YOU! THANK YOU, ALL THE WAY FROM EARTH TO HEAVEN! FINALLY! Someone who fully gets it! I would have messaged you in PM, my man, but I couldn't. Thank you, for being a ray of sunshine among all the haters. Worst yet, most of them are Guest accounts or have PMs turned off, so I can't even confront them about some stuff. Plus, whilst some bring up good points at times, it is VERY rare for them to do so, as they mostly just flame. As you said, people are likely just mad Issei is not beating the fuck out of Great Red or something by now, or worst, because Issei is still the MC! And this one goes to all Guests: Sorry I didn't make the OC Sasuke Rip-Off MC you all wanted, who cuts himself for attention or some shit, and is so edgy his power is literally giving people paper cuts! DAMN, it feels good to do that.
You're a rock, buddy, and people like you are what helped me continue this story. Thanks to people like you, I am not going to delete, or worst, KMS, EVER. Some people are just that toxic, and trust me, I have PM's that are worst than the revs. I honestly wish FF had a function to allow you to report people like that, who only flame and are being toxic, so their accounts could be either suspended or banned because people like that who seem to only be on here to harass the writers do not deserve to be allowed here.
Day 5 of the training camp with the Gremory and Issei was, well…Going on a small trip around the area. He had informed everyone about it, and they agreed to allow him a small respite seeing how had been a big help the last couple of days. This was mostly due to the discussion yesterday about the possibility of this being a new area and there is at least one new dungeon. For that reason, Issei was currently in his Balance Breaker, flying around the area. Some might say he was wasting his power, being reckless, but he'd say he was just making full use of it.
He can only fly while in his Balance Breaker, currently. He should see about getting a skill or more to enable him to fly without it. He had a long journey ahead to develop himself, after all. But speaking of that, he recalled a certain item in his inventory, and as he was airborne, he pulled it out. It was the EXP box he received from the raid.
If he recalled correctly, those usually do not give a lot of EXP by default, but there is a 20% chance, plus some from his LCK stat, that can influence it to give a random EXP amount above 5000. But there was no upper cap mentioned before. That had him gulp a bit. "You guys think this can level me up?"
"Please, the amount of EXP we require is through the roof, I doubt we'd have the fortune for that!"
"Still, no use keeping it in there to gather dust. And if it DOES level us up? How about a bet, you two?"
"A bet, you say?" Solomon looked at his draconic friend, noticing the smirk within their small realm. "What in tarnation could you possibly gain? Need I remind you, there is little for us here!"
"Simple: If I win - meaning if Issei here levels up from that box - someone will be eating spicy curry for a week."
"I don't really have something against that."
"With American spicy sauce."
"You are evil. Downright monstrous." Issei told his draconic partner. "You KNOW I hate that sauce!"
"Then pray that box is a dud!"
"Ha! No worries, Issei, the odds are with us! You still need about 800000 EXP to level up, and there is no way that box can grant that much! Very well, Ddraig, you have yourself a bet! But if we win, it is vanilla pudding with caramel topping for a week!"
"Are you guys even considering this is my mouth and stomach on the line?" Issei asked, but the two of them gave him no reply, simply standing in silence, waiting for the conclusion. He sighed. "At times, I really hate the two of you."
And so, he opened the box, watching it glow a faint green before it disintegrated before his eyes. "See? Likely only one thousa-"
Congratulations! You are now level 33!
"HAHAHASHAHAH"
"HOW?! JUST HOW?!"
"WHO THE FUCK CARES NOW! I AM DOOMED TO HAVE MY MOUTH CATCH FIRE FOR A WEEK!"
"It seems fate smiles on me, today, lads! See the good part, we can knock one of the additional objectives off the list!" Ddraig commented, and sure enough, Issei admitted he was right.
Training of the Heart and Body.
Training with the Gremory Peerage? This is bound to be interesting. And a golden opportunity! Use this opportunity and make the most out of it!
Main Objective (repeatable): Complete a day of training successfully!
Main Objective 2: Gain 2 levels during this trip and raise at least two of your stats to 100!
Additional Objective: Gain at least 1/5 RP with Rias Gremory!
Additional Objective 2: Gain at least 7/10 RP with Akeno Himejina!
Additional Objective 3: Gain at least 9/5 RP with Yuuto Kiba! -Complete
Additional Objective 4: Gain at least 11/15 RP with Koneko(Shirone)!
Quest Time Limit: N/A.
Main Objective 1 Reward: 200K EXP.
Main Objective 2 Reward: 1 MAX-L Orb, 750K EXP, 10 Free Stat Points.
Additional Objective Reward (Must complete all Additional Objectives): 120K EXP, + 5 RP with all members of your household (Yes, even Raynare), 1 Random Reward Box.
Failure Penalty: N/A
"The second one! It also gives us extra stat points as well, as well as another MAX-L orb!"
"To think I will end up with a burned mouth for this…" Issei muttered. "There are some stats that are very close to 100, yes, and I guess you want me to use my stat points to max them?"
"That…Would be the obvious course of action." Even Solomon was now agreeing with Ddraig. "This turn of events has honestly left me dumbfounded. I need a few minutes, to find my inner peace again."
"You do you, Solomon. Let's see here…" Issei brought up his stats, looking them over.
Attention! Since STR has reached the current limit of 100, whenever you level up the stat point meant for it will be distributed to the next skill on the list below 100!
As a result of your STR Stat reaching 100, your [Silver Striker] perk has evolved into [Golden Striker]
Quest updated!
"And claimed as well!" Issei said, claiming the rewards from the objective. The MAX-L will be stored away for when he needed it, like before, since those WERE rare to get. But the extra stat points? He had 10 of them, and he was going to make use of them all! He used 6 on his ACC, bringing that up a fair bit, then used the rest split evenly between his DUR and AGI. "So…The quest is also going to give us more EXP boxes as well as random rewards. Any predictions on those?"
"I'd rather ignore them for now, Ise. Please."
"You are just being a sore loser, old friend. Plus, look on the bright side! This is a perfect chance for Issei to build up his resistance and taste for spicy food!" Ddraig commented.
"At times, I hate you guys for doing stupid stuff…"
Continuing on his journey through the sky, Issei still searched for anything remotely looking like a dungeon, trying to forget the most recent event and its consequences. Hopefully, Ddraig will forget about it. But there was one thing none of them will be forgetting.
Dungeon detected!
"Jackpot!" Issei cheered, opening up the notification and seeing some indications. Plus, it seems they were right, and Solomon confirmed a suspicion of his. The System provided some kind of aid in finding dungeons, but he wondered how extensive that was or if he was just giving them first dungeon which contains information on the rest. Regardless, they found their target, and as such, Ise landed, looking around.
"According to the information, the dungeon is around here," Solomon commented, letting Issei look around. All he saw were trees, grass, bushes, and the occasional rocks. Nothing that screamed dungeon entrance to him. "Sneaky."
"There seems to be nothing here. Sure the system is not glitching?" Ddraig asked, however, his statement was soon invalidated when [Danger Sense] triggered, sending the familiar alarm through them and making Issei put up his guard.
'Something is here, alright." Solomon commented. "Issei, sense anything?"
"[Aura Sense] is not picking up much, if anything." He replied, keeping up his guard. "Still, [Danger Sense] was triggered by SOMETHING! No way it went off on its own!"
"The entrance must be hidden somewhere, but why did the alarm go off despite not being yet inside the dungeon?" Solomon asked, trying to think. "Unless…The enemies are here because the dungeon is not hidden."
"Now you are making no sense again."
"The dungeon is not hidden, you two. It is right here." Issei's eyes widened hearing the words of the wise king, and sure enough, he launched a small fireball to the sky, only to see it impact seemingly against air and disperse.
"Holy shit! This is like a barrier, but how come we didn't notice it when we came in?!" Issei gasped.
"Most likely some kind of feature of it, to confuse us. Sneaky, very much so. We do not even know what kind of dungeon this is as we received no notification with information, like recommended level."
"That could be a huge problem since we might have just bitten more than we can chew."
"Just what kind of place did we enter-" Suddenly, [Danger Sense] went off again and he ducked, managing to dodge an arrow that would have struck his head. Then, he twisted around, delivering a quick [Firebal] to the attacker, striking them dead-on. "That was close."
Going over to where the enemy was, Issei inspected it, and his eyes widened seeing the creature. "The fuck- A skeleton with a bow and arrow?!"
"Is this some Minecraft-inspired dungeon?"
"I doubt it, Ddraig. Look closer, namely at the skeleton's forearm. That there is Kanbun, an older version of Kanji." Solomon pointed out, making the writing obvious. "Issei, can you read it?"
"Somewhat." The boy replied, dismissing his Balance Breaker to conserve stamina. "It says 'guard'."
"Guard?"
"A guard, but for what?"
"We might have to dig deeper to find the answer to that question." Issei said as he looked at the skeleton, seeing a strange item inside their eye socket, like some kind of crystal. "What's this?" He reached for it, picking it up and inspecting it. It was a clear crystal but shaped like some kind of thick lens. "This is- Woah!"
"Oh my!"
"You were right, Solomon. Sneaky indeed."
Looking through the lens revealed something to Issei and the guys, something they did not expect to see. There was a door in the middle of the trees, but unlike the others, the design was old, Japanese, dating back to somewhere after the early years of the Heian Period if Solomon was right. That was more than 10 centuries ago, meaning that whatever this was, chances were this was not the Snake of Adam or their old Fallen enemies.
Getting closer to the door, Issei slid it gently, peering inside to find…Nothing. There were no stairs leading elsewhere, or even other enemies. Heck, that guard might have been the only enemy there, which raised the question as to why there was a guard there, to begin with! The door opened up to a large, wooden room, covered in dust and cobwebs. There were multiple paintings on the walls, however, which Issei inspected, but something both didn't seem right and immediately send red flags in his head.
"Gashadokuro…" He muttered, backing down as he recognized the large skeleton drawn on the wall. How can he not?! He learned only a couple of years ago from Ddraig and Kuroka, but long ago, there was a 'King' of malevolent Youkai. The Gashadokuro was as dangerous as they were powerful, nigh-invincible, as Kuroka described them. They consumed humans, appear at night, and despite their huge size, are masters of stealth.
And right now, looking at the paintings, he saw images of multiple Gashadokuro going up against the Kitsune-Fox Youkai, and other, more benevolent Youkai, in what looked like an all-out war. Underneath a full moon, they fought, the night being their battlefield.
Gulping, Issei continued to read what he could. The writing was damaged by time, so it was not all readable, but some passages were. All of them are written in older Japanese. It talked about a war to bring eternal peace to Japan, by making sure no 'abomination' walks the land again.
"This is not right. Look at the leader of the Youkai - the good ones!" Ddraig pointed out, letting Issei see the picture of a woman with long, silver hair tied into two distinct tails behind her, The way to tell she was the leader was due to her tails, numbering 9. "The current leader of the Youkai doesn't have silver hair, but blonde hair!"
"Could this perhaps be the previous one?" Solomon suggested.
"Yasaka, of the Eastern Youkai, has been on her throne for centuries now…If the time matches the way I think it does, we are looking at an image of her mother of all people."
"Did you meet her through one of your incarnations before, Ddraig?" Issei asked, but the dragon didn't have good news for him.
"Never. When I first got a Japanese host, Yasaka was already on the throne."
"My word, this is a big discovery!" Solomon commented. "What else does it say? Or rather, show?"
"The fight was brutal." Issei continued, translating and reading the paintings. "The fight against the Gashadokuro was without end, for no matter what they tried, they could not kill even one of them. In spite of their vastly superior numbers, the King of Malevolence almost prevailed. Worst yet, due to civilian casualties, more were being born."
'They multiplied through tragedy and regrets. When there is a big number of humans dying at once, their negative feelings, regrets, and dark desires gather into the bones of the one which held the strongest dark desire, and a Gashadokuro is born. But…I never encountered one with any of my previous Japanese hosts." The dragon began to show clear confusion. "How could this be?"
"There is more." Issei mentioned, continuing. "To stop them from winning, they had to prevent the Gashadokuro from multiplying, and as such, a great spell was cast over the entire land…The Queen of Benevolence, as the leader of the Easter Youkai Faction, was named, forsaken her life for this spell."
"The life essence of a being as powerful as the nine-tailed Kitsune…Such a spell could indeed cover an entire country with ease." Solomon analyzed, rubbing his beard. "Are there details?"
Issei nodded. "The spell prevented Gashadokuro's from being born, meaning their numbers just became limited. It speaks of the Elder Youkai - the oldest and most powerful Youkai aside from the leader - using their combined power to seal the Gashadokuro's away, where their corruption will naturally fade and they will die out."
"Then what is with that painting there?" Solomon pointed out. What they just read should have been the ending, yet, there was one more panel. Issei went to it, looking carefully.
"It shows a Gashadokuro climbing out of a pit of fire?" Issei muttered, seeing the creature climb out, but then he noticed something. In the other panel, the monsters are said to have been buried underground, where a great fire burned eternally.
"One of them escaped?!" Ddraig gasped, sounding alarmed.
"No. It didn't." Issei added, reading the last line of text. "It says here that they all died. This painting was done 100 years after the rest!"
"How is this possible? Not a single one should be alive then!" Solomon commented.
"It doesn't say. But…" he then turned to the side, where the wall was exposed, and the floor elevated. There was one wooden crate, ornate, sitting there. "How much are you guys willing to bet there is something in that box?"
"I don't wish to make any more bets for today. Let's open it." Solomon urged Issei, who went closer and slowly slid the lit off, revealing…A strange-looking stone?
"What's this?" Issei picked up the stone, looking at it closely. He saw an S and a W inscribed on it, but it was completely made of stone. Additionally, there was a small hole in the center. Without any other choice, Issei used his skill on it.
[Compass of the Malevolent King - First Half]
[The first half of a precious artifact. Find the other half to complete it and reveal its true meaning and power]
"That was not very helpful…" Solomon muttered.
"I think the opposite. It says this is meant to be some kind of compass, and those things usually point to someone or something."
"The one that got away!" Issei turned around sharply, looking at the picture once again, more carefully this time. He held the small stone compass up and looked around the painting. "Here! Look at this full moon, it has a red line going through it, pointing at the creature."
"Marvelous discovery, Issei!"
For connecting some dots, you were given 1 INT.
"The moon seems related to the compass. Somehow perhaps it helps locate the creature?"
"If so, I doubt we'd need to worry about it roaming around anymore, no?" Solomon pointed out. "If they had such a device on hand, surely the creature was found and dealt with. But then, why break it in half?" He rubbed his beard. "That detail is confusing me, collapsing the logic and reasoning on this item's existence."
"Should we tell the others? Rias might be able to reach out to this Yasaka you talked about." Issei proposed, but Solomon was quick to answer.
"No. The creature is as powerful, at least, as a High-Rank dragon just because of its sheer abilities. Who knows how high its raw power goes? And for how long it has been around, or even how it escaped! Informing them will also draw unnecessary attention to us at the wrong time. Right now, we need to focus on aiding Rias in her endeavor to escape her engagement, then we can worry about any other needed issue, such as the Snake of Adam, the Fallen, or even that strange stray we met a while back. We cannot worry about something like this at this time."
"I see. I understand."
"I do as well. We cannot start going down so many paths all at once, we need to focus on what is right ahead first. Once we uphold our little arrangement with Rias, we can then worry about doing whatever it is we must without worrying about their interference."
For understanding the current situation, you were awarded 1 WIS.
"For now, let's get out of here and return to everyone." Issei continued, turning to the door. "Hopefully, the answer will come to us."
"Overall, this place was a bust. Not even a lick of EXP."
With Solomon's final comment, Issei activated his Balance Breaker and flew away. However, unnoticed to him, the lid of the box began to raise on its own, closing the box once again before it sunk into the floor and the sound of gears echoed throughout the room. Smoke began to fill the room as the wooden walls burned away, and the paint in the artwork decorating it fell like the dry crust of cold bread.
Underneath them was glass - dirty, but it was glass. Had Issei just remained there longer, he'd seen something else; underneath the room laid a pit of smoldering embers, where multiple, giant bodies laid carbonized. The embers charred them, covering white bone in sooth. Here, right beneath his feet, were the Gashadokuro sealed away so many centuries ago. Yet, as few were strewn around, the majority were huddled together.
Their bones were charred, but something was awfully off. They had no skulls, some were missing other bones too, but none had a skull left on their head.
Then the skeleton which Issei took out began to fade to dust, but it got to open its maw one last time: 'Forgive me, Inuka.'
The last breath of a deceased person.
Arriving back at the manor in the early afternoon, Issei flew down as everyone was training, getting their attention. He let out a sigh as he touched the ground, dismissing his Balance Breaker. "You're back early." Rias said, being the closes tone to where he landed. "When you asked for the day to yourself, I imagined you'd be gone longer than one morning."
"I did some scouting around, trying to find anything of interest." He replied, trying to not reveal his real reason. "Found almost nothing, only a straggler."
"A straggler? Was it a Stray?"
"If it was, it was a very boney one. No, it was a skeleton, armed at that. Not even an old corpse either, judging by how well-maintained its bow looked." he replied, watching Rias tilt her head a bit.
"An undead? Now that is peculiar, but not uncommon. Practitioners of Necromancy tend to work in secret, and not always keep their pets in check." The heiress stated, then she stepped up to him a bit more. "But since you are back, how about you aid me and Ingvild in our training?"
"Of course! What are you-" And then, things went dark for him. It was not fully sudden, but at the same time, it was strange. He could faintly hear some kind of sound, and then he felt the earth connect with the rest of his body as he likely collapsed.
"Issei!" He recognized Ingvild's voice, who rushed to him and kneeled down to his level as he slowly began to get up. "Are you ok?"
"What happened? One moment I talked with Rias, the next I passed out?"
"I am so sorry, that was my fault! I was practicing with my Gear, and you must have picked up the song I was working on!" Ingvild apologized, helping Issei up, then the boy used his skill to clean himself. "I am so sorry, I didn't think I'd affect you so quickly, I-"
"Ingvi, calm down." Issei told her. "It's ok. Heck, if anything, you should feel proud! If you can knock me down with your singing alone, that means you are getting better!"
"I still have a lot to learn in terms of control." Ingvild said shyly.
"But you ARE making staggering progress." Rias added. "You are quite the fast learner, Ingvild, and as Issei said, you should feel proud about it."
"Thank you…"
+3 RP with Ingvild Leviathan
"Thank you, Rias Gremory." Issei said internally, then turned to Rias, seeing a small opportunity. "You should have a bit of credit as well, Rias. Your aid in helping Ingvild better control her powers was a great help after all, so you should also feel proud about her progress."
Rias smiled softly. "I didn't do much, really. Most of the credit is still Ingvild's."
"Actually, Issei is right, you were a big help, Rias," Ingvild added. "I am still practicing, but I am certain I will be ready to help Issei and Kuroka in combat in no time with your aid!"
Rias blushed a bit. "You two…"
+1 RP with Rias Gremory.
"And thank you, Ingvild!" Interactions between the girls, as proven by Asia and Raynare, seem to work to somehow ease the process of gaining Relationship Points. It worked in his favor, overall. "So, shall we do that training you talked about, Rias?"
"We shall." She replied, happy to be getting back on track. "The advice you gave me earlier helped me to some degree, but I still feel like my projectiles are difficult to control."
"Mind if I watch?" Ingvild asked. "Maybe I can get some ideas for my own abilities."
"Not at all, Ingvild. In fact, you're more than welcome to spectate." Rias replied, then turned to Issei. "So, got anything for me?"
"Solomon? Ideas for Rias?"
"As much as I don't like helping the Devils, I do have some advice we could give her. Repeat after me."
"Well, first, you could try…"
"Fucking hell…" Issei swore as he was currently in the bathroom, going through the aftermath of Ddraig's punishment. During dinner today, they were all pretty confused as to why he was spicing up his food more, only to tell them he lost a bet with Ddraig when, in truth, it was Solomon who did!
He got through dinner, albeit barely, but that was far from the end of it, oh no, sir. The spice came back a few hours later, in the form of a very bad stomach ache and serious rounds of shit. He rushed to the bathroom, closed the door, pulled his pants down, and now he was here, at 2 in the morning, clutching his stomach while his guts emptied themselves.
"Didn't see this coming."
"Fair be fair, not many people get the shits after spicy food." Solomon pointed out. "How are you feeling, Issei? Any better?"
"Like hell I am, if anything it is getting worst…"
"Isn't there some medicine in this whole goddamn building? Surely, they might even a pharmacy in here!" Ddraig said, but then Solomon was quick to reply.
"I doubt they are junkies, old friend. But I do agree, there have to be some drugs to calm Issei's stomach around here. The bathroom was well stocked when we arrived, so maybe in the cabinet above the sink?"
"Worth a shot, I guess." Issei said as he got up slowly, going over to the cabinet as fast as he could before he got the shits again. He looked around, trying to see if anything there worked to calm his stomach, and unfortunately, there was, but the bottle was empty. "Shit."
"Literally."
"Great, we are out before we even started them. Now what?"
"The girls might have some of this medicine in their rooms. We could ask them for the medicine."
"I don't think any of them are awake at 2 in the morning, and I don't want to wake anyone up," Issei said, then he brought his hand to his stomach, quite quickly so. "Shit, shit, shit, shit!"
And on the shitter, he returns to.
"I swear…You two are going to be the death of me…"
It seems like he will need to power through the situation for the night, as much as he disliked the idea. However, fate liked to play games. A few knocks came on his door, the BATHROOM's door, which were followed by a familiar voice. 'Issei? Are you alright? I have been strange noises through the wall, and I got worried."
Ingvild was there. "Ingvild?" Her room must have been on the other side of the wall to his bathroom. Shit, was he really that loud in his groans and occasional curse word? "I-it's nothing, I just-"
"He got the shits from the spicy food!" Ddraig half-shouted, earning a bad look from Issei.
"O-oh…That's…gross, I am not going to lie." Ingvild replied honestly, which had Issei bury his face in his palm from the embarrassment. But she was quick to question. "Didn't you take any meds?"
"The bottle was empty."
"Oh…I will go to my room and bring the one from my cabinet then." Ingvild offered. "Is that ok with you?"
"Sure, just…Hurry, please."
Sure enough, Ingvild was pretty quick and returned with the bottle of medicine. Issei made sure to slightly open the door and quickly take it. "Thanks, Ingvild." He said as he popped some of the pills, then returned to his seat of glory, waiting for them to kick into effect. "Sorry, you had to witness this, Ingvi."
"It's alright, it was not like I was about to leave you to suffer through the night. And perhaps, for longer than that, considering the terms of your bet with Ddraig."
"Yeah…MY bet with Ddraig."
"I am not proud of that moment, no."
Despite Solomon's words, Issei was not going to let it go easily. "Anyhow, Ingvi, how is your training with Rias going? I know we can speak whenever we want, but I want to know what kind of progress you reached."
"Oh! Well, I grew more skilled in using my water, pretty much. Due to the mix of both my natural power and gear, I can pretty much control both fresh and salty water." She explained. "Although, in regards to my Gear, I am still struggling with the part that apparently lets me control dragons. I think you once said it relates to my singing?"
"Yeah. You could, in theory, sing a dragon to sleep, control them, or who knows what else. All you need is practice, Ingvi." Issei replied. "But from what I am hearing, you are doing a very good job as is. Plus, your singing voice is very beautiful."
Unseen to Issei, a light blush decorated Ingvild's face. "Thank you."
+3 RP with Ingvild Leviathan.
"Although fair is fair, Kuroka doesn't have a bad voice either." Ingvild began. "I know she doesn't sing, but I can see her putting on a nice show. Maybe I should talk with her about it?"
"It's worth a shot, really." He grunted, his stomach giving him a reminder of his current situation. "Kuroka…" He cleared his throat. "Kuroka shouldn't have an issue with it, but I think it is best we wait until the end of this little training trip."
"Yeah, but I am somewhat nervous to be around so many other devils." She confessed.
"I mean, technically, only Rias is a pure-blood here." Issei pointed out.
"I-I know, but it's just…This is the first time I have ever interacted with so many of my kind in such a peaceful environment. Back before I went to sleep, I was never given the time of day by my peers, due to my nature as a hybrid." She turned around, sitting down next to the door. "But Rias and her group? They don't care about it."
"I guess it must be the modern times, but then again, I can be wrong." Issei replied. "I spend a good amount of time AVOIDING Rias and her group. Now, however, that I am getting to know them, they don't seem that bad. Heck, I know Akeno doesn't hate me or anything…"
Ingvild shuffled a bit on the other side of the door. "I heard from Kuroka…Quite bold of her, I have to admit." She remained silent for a bit, and Issei was about to speak, but Ingvild was first to continue. "How…Did you find her? Her body, I mean."
"T-thats a question and a half." Issei replied, surprised by Ingvild inquiry. It made things awkward for him, and not by a small bit. "Well…I will be honest, she had a rack to die for!"
Ingvild laughed a bit on the other side of the door. "Figures that is the first thing you'd comment on. Is she really that big?"
"Not just big, but has a great shape as well. If I were to compare sizes, however…I'd say you and her are pretty close in terms of overall size, but, and I know for a given fact, yours have a certain firmness to them. Although I didn't touch them, I could tell Akeno's must have been softer, the kind where my fingers vanish in."
"That is…quite detailed." The girl was stunned by the given assessment.
Even I am impressed. +1 INT and +2 WIS for the feat.
"Again, who else believes there is an actual, sentient being behind the System?"
"It certainly can make unique reactions not common to normal devices."
"It is sentient, no doubt about it."
"Still, I am happy to hear you also seem to enjoy my looks." Ingvild continued, running a hand over her generous chest. "Back in the early days, I'd get various looks from other devils. Not the good kind either, so I was always self-conscious about my big chest. But I guess it's alright, as long as you like it."
+1RP with Ingvild Leviathan.
"Thanks, Ingvi. And, I just want to say, you don't need to worry. Kuroka also knows this, but I would never do something akin to going behind your backs and cheating on you with another girl." Issei reminded Ingvild. "Akeno came to me, and I turned her down politely. Or, well, as politely as I could…Hard to tell what goes on in that woman's head."
"She does intimidate me a bit. It's just that she seems much more confident and experienced compared to the rest of us. Do you think she…has experience?" She asked slowly.
"Solomon? This is your field, buddy."
"Wha- I cannot tell if a woman has been with a man just from looks alone!" The wise king argued, but Ddraig and Issei both knew better. "Fine! Look, as you said, she is a bit hard to read, but at the same time, pretty transparent. The way she flirted with Issei shows she is not shy or insecure about her body, but I noticed a little bit of an edge in her voice during that encounter with Kuroka. SHE was the one being intimidated by our dear cat. She might have now shown it, but she was, which is usually the difference between a girl and a woman. She is pure."
"Thank you, Solomon."
"I don't think so, no." Issei replied, hearing Ingvild shuffle slightly behind the door.
"Are you…Going to change that?"
And at that question, Issei was stunned fully.
"Leviathan, explain yourself." Luckily, Ddraig was the one to step up, using his stern voice to demand an explanation.
"Now, now, old friend, I am certain she does have an explanation for asking such a…private and honestly strange question." Solomon added, both audible to Ingvild. The girl flinched a bit, being questioned by the two older beings, but with a slow gulp, she began answering.
"I mean, she had a point, right? Red Dragon Emperors are said to hoard massive harems, certainly more than 2." She explained.
"She has a point." Ddraig admitted.
"Wait, so…You are asking who I plan to add to my…? Ingvild, that is quite the question." Issei admitted. "I mean, I never really gave it that much thought before. When I and Kuroka decided to invite you, you pretty much put that option there, and things just flowed along with it. But that being said…I think it's safe to say it also depends on you and Kuroka."
"You mean we'd have a say on who you choose?" She asked back, thinking over the detail. "I see. That is indeed very fair, and as you said before, you'd be more ok with us having a good relationship with one another rather than constantly fighting due to jealousy. Still, I don't know if the others would agree to such an arrangement."
"You think they will find it unfair?" Asked Issei.
"No, on the contrary even! I think they will find it unusual, that's all. This sort of arrangement is very uncommon among devils, at least it was during my time." Ingvild replied, explaining what she meant. "It's a novelty, and a nice one too. But because of that they might be a bit skeptical."
"I see. Well, in that case, I guess I should take it easy. Baby steps."
"Yeah…baby steps."
+3RP with Ingvild Leviathan!
Attention! Ingvild Leviathan has reached 90 RP points, meaning that from now on, to gain the remaining 10, you must complete quests!
Secret Objective completed!
Since you managed to bring Ingvild Leviathan to 90 RP before the end of the training session, you are hereby awarded 200K EXP (Not altered by bonuses, a perk of Secret Objectives in general.), 10K Yen, 5 bonus RP with Ingvild Leviathan, and a fair warning.
Hold your breath.
"That is…strange. I mean, I am al in for the secret objective giving me stuff, even if they do not get increased by my bonuses, but what does it mean by 'hold your breath'?"
"Your question is as good as mine!" Solomon added, with them hearing Ingvild move beyond the door.
"I will be going now, Issei. We still have training tomorrow. It was nice talking with you, even if the situation was…pretty awkward." She giggled. "Pretty much reminds me you are not that different from others, really. Red Dragon Emperor or not, Successor of Solomon or not, you are still our lovable pervert."
"Awww. Thanks, Ingvi - wait a second, what do you mean by 'Successor of Solomon'? I never meant to inherit his crazy quirks!" Issei argued, and no sooner did he do it, than Solomon gasped.
"Excuse you, Ise! I never chose to be like this either! I was made just as God intended to make me, and nothing less! You, on the other hand, who grew up in a Godless world have no excuse! Do not think even for a second me and Ddraig are unaware of your…nightly manual labors back during your early days of puberty."
"Damn it, Solomon, not with Ingvild here!"
"Actually, the girl left before Solomon finished the first sentence." Ddraig told them, and Issei, already feeling his stomach calm down after the meds, went to the door and took a peek through it, seeing that, indeed, there was no sign of Ingvild anywhere in his room anymore, and his door was slightly ajar. "Something is off about her, don't you agree, you two?"
"I mean, I just wrote it off as part of her personality, but this was odd…To some degree." Issei commented.
"Hmm. Oh, I am sure it is nothing too serious. We didn't upset her, or else her RP would have gone down, not up. Yet, the heart of a maiden is a complicated maze, and the system's aid a mere compass that can stir us wrong." Solomon stated, rubbing his beard. Thanks to Ddraig, he seemed to now be distracted from Issei's earlier comment. "Anyhow, we should wrap up the business inside the bathroom, then head to sleep, 'less someone here wakes up half-zombified!"
Day 6 was upon them! Issei felt like crap. He went to sleep late, and woke up early, meaning it was no wonder he sometimes had trouble keeping himself up. But luckily, Ddraig and Solomon shouting in his head to stay awake kept him as such, and alert. He did expect to get his ass handed to him today, though. Which, almost like he was a wise sage atop a mountain shone on by the heavens, he predicted with deadly accuracy.
His lack of sleep made it easy for Kiba to avoid his strikes today and deliver devastating blows to him, and Akeno didn't go easy on him either with her magic after. His skills progressed slowly as a result too, but at least, seeing the consequences, Ddraig agreed to drop the whole bet thing. Things were too dire and too painful to watch for the dragon.
"Here." Asia said as Issei was laid on his stomach on a bench, her Sacred Gear shining brightly as he felt his sore muscles relax and the pain fades slowly. "That was…Quite brutal, Ise. Are you feeling alright? I hope you are not ill."
Oh, poor Asia, always the kind and considerate one. He couldn't go into detail explaining to her what has transpired last night, due to his own embarrassing details, but he could at least give her a basic summary.
"I hate spicy food. Bathroom all night. I hate Ddraig's taste buds."
"I deserve that…"
"Oh…I think, well, Ingvild said something about that, earlier today. I and she were on breakfast duty, and we exchanged a few words." Asia confessed, a slight blush creeping over her face as Issei groaned, embarrassed. "She. Umm. Also asked me some things."
"Things?"
"Y-yeah, but I honestly believe Kuroka knew more of them. She kinda assumed that due to my Gear, I have more medical knowledge."
Medical knowledge? Now, why on earth would Ingvild want to know more about that? Last he checked, she had no such thing as healing magic, as learning it now would be counter-productive to her water-based abilities, which have started to really flourish. And what does Kuroka know about medicine as well? Wait…Oh hell. Now it was starting to connect.
The system's warning came back in force, and Issei was slow to realize back then, but Asia's words, and in no small part thanks to his WIS and INT, things were clicking into place. The system's warning was a reference to water, as you could only drown in liquids, but it didn't mean water per se, but rather, drowning in the sea.
Ingvild's sea.
"Oh…Boy…" Issei said slowly, his mind running a few miles an hour to process everything. Solomon and Ddraig also caught on, but on cue, Solomon pointed something out.
"Her RP tab is not yet full, but if we complete this training quest…"
"It WILL fill up."
"I-...I never thought Ingvild would…I thought what we did back then was the good stuff!" Issei shouted in his own head. He had to talk with Kuroka, fast!
However…
"Gah!"
"Issei! Stand still! You are still sore!"
"R-right…"
For figuring out what is about to go down, you were awarded 1 WIS.
Kuroka giggled. "Sorry, Ise, but I am afraid that kind of information is between me and Ingvild. I have to praise you for figuring it out, even if I can imagine you had some aid."
"Kuroka, please, I need to know! I don't want to hurt Ingvild, so I at least have to know how far she plans to go!"
"Sorry!~" Kuroka went away, giggling. "That is super-secret girl-woman talk! And soon enough…Ingvild will be a woman too."
Issei paled slightly hearing her. Now, the prospect of claiming Ingvild as his own for good was exciting, don't get him wrong, but he wanted to know something more precise. He knows for a fact the system is not controlling their actions in regards to sex, and right now, he didn't know if Ingvild was going to go all the way with him before OR AFTER he gets her RP to 100.
That kind of uncertainty was affecting him…Should he prepare? Should he wait for her to come into his room, wearing only a bathrobe? Or rather, expect her to be inside his room when he enters. What were her plans? And how did Kuroka fit into everything?
So many questions were swirling in his head…
"Congratulations, everyone, on our first week of training!" Rias said, offering some congratulations to everyone on their progress, as mild as it may seem. Today was their seventh day, and Rias decided they earned a small break to review their progress and rest. "Now, I wish to hear some details about everyone's overall progress, so I will be mostly asking you what you managed to accomplish. Let's start with you, Akeno."
"Well, I am afraid that other than some increase in my capacity to cast magic for longer, I didn't progress all that much. Issei has been a great help, however, in seeing some aspects in which I could pour some focus." She explained, not missing the opportunity to mention his aid.
+1 RP with Rias Gremory.
"Hmm. Could it be I misjudged the difficulty Rias' RP requires?" Issei asked himself as next it was Kiba's turn to explain his progress, and he began by summoning a brand new sword.
"I call this Detonator. It is a short sword that blows up, either after a short amount of time or, if I wish, only when I will it. However, I did find some things about it, such as the fact the remote detonation part of it functions properly only while I am in a certain range of it, otherwise, it switches to a timer." He explained, with Rias looking quite pleased with such progress. "I have to thank Issei for this discovery, as he was the one to give me the idea."
"Well, that is quite pleasing to hear, Kiba." Rias said, giving Issei a small glance. No RP increase this time around, despite the greater aid, but maybe it was due to his aid overall already showing results? Possibly, given the circumstances. "Koneko."
"Training with my sister has helped me better control my Youjutsu and Senjutsu. I also discovered I hold an affinity with the earth, like my sister, but I might have something else as well." She stated, with Rias nodding her head in acknowledgment of the information. Even Issei was somewhat impressed that Konako discovered her affinities already, given how she must have neglected her Youkai abilities due to her trauma.
But all of that was in the past. So in the past.
"Not bad for the first week, overall." Rias concluded, then she cleared her throat. "As for myself, I have been working on my Power of Destruction. Mainly, I am trying to see if I can make shapes of it, to generate more efficient projectiles to conserve power."
"How is that going so far, president?" Kiba asked.
"Quite well. Issei here has been a good aid since he has some experience in shaping his abilities. Although I admit, my target could improve, I am pleased to say I managed to add another move to my arsenal."
+1 RP with Rias Gremory.
"You have all been a great help to me as well. Thanks to you, Kiba, my swordsmanship has improved, and thanks to you, Akeno, my magic grew stronger as well." Issei said, voicing his gratitude to them. "Although I have yet to devise any new abilities during our first week, that is not to say I won't be bringing something new to the fight against Riser. I cannot make promises, but I will see what can be developed."
"That is good to hear, Issei. Remember, you are our secret weapon, so the stronger you grow the better our odds against Riser and his peerage." Rias stated, then the attention turned to Ingvild, Kuroka, and Asia. "What about you three? Learn anything new?"
"Oh yes!" Ingvild was the first to speak. "Thanks to you, Rias, I feel like I grasped more of my demonic power, and my control over it improved. I still need work with my Sacred Gear, however, but that is coming along nicely."
"Nya! I didn't really get anything new, but I am grateful for the time spent with my sister!" Kuroka stated, going as far as to lean in and hug her sister. "This has been such a precious opportunity, nya!"
"Kuroka, get off, not here." Koneko said, pushing her sister off slightly, a light blush on her face. "But…I admit it was nice. Thank you for bringing her, Issei."
+1 RP with Shirone (Koneko) Toujou
"There is no need to thank me. I want all of us to get to know one another better, and get along. Especially, well…After I avoided you for 4 months." Issei said, and sure enough, Rias let out a sigh.
"That was an interesting period, I admit. But the aftermath of it is more than I could ask for." She turned her gaze to Asia. "What about you, Asia Argento? Your Twilight Healing has been a great aid to us all, so you must have learned at least one new trick, right?"
"Oh! Umm. Not really." Asia said, shyly. "I guess my healing got faster, somehow? I just noticed it takes less time to heal certain injuries than it did before."
"That is an improvement, yes." Rias stated. "Overall, I dare say the first week ended on a good note. We all progressed and improved in one way or another, but that is not to say we are finished. There are still 2 weeks left ahead of us, so we best make use of them. Today, you all get a free day to rest, but I expect everyone to be back at work the next morning, understood?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Sure."
"Nya! Anytime!"
"Can't wait."
Everyone gave mixed replies to Rias' statement before each of them went on their way. However, Asia walked up to Issei. "Issei?"
"Hmm? Yes, Asia?"
"Well, you see…I think you noticed, but Raynare was not here."
"I did. Guessing she is lazing around the couch like always?" Asia shook her head. "Then…'
"She is actually…training as well." Asia revealed, which surprised Issei to some degree. "She just said she got bored sitting around all day, doing nothing. As long as she doesn't try and escape, or try harming anyone, the seal doesn't stop her. She usually goes into the woods late at night."
"I see. But, then, what does that have anything to do with her absence?"
"From my knowledge, she began to do this 3 days ago. I usually wait for her with some water and a light snack, but last night, she didn't return." Asia's statement got Issei's attention, and not in a good way. "I know she cannot just run away, so I got worried. I wanted to go to you right away, but I thought she was avoiding me for some reason and that she was already asleep. Can we go and check on her?"
"Of course!" Issei replied in a heartbeat, as Solomon was already breaking down the situation.
"She couldn't have ran, the seal makes it impossible! It is also still intact, as we are still paying the upkeep for it, meaning that she didn't run, and this disappearance couldn't be of her doing. Ise, exercise the highest degree of caution. We don't know if she is just hiding, having found a loophole in our commands, or if she was kidnapped. The former is more likely than the latter too."
Acknowledging Solomon's words, Issei began to follow Asia to the place where Raynare apparently did her training. It was deep in the forest, but still on the property owned by the Gremory. He managed to find the marks of her training, with the trees being marked by what must have been her light. However, the place was pretty thrashed.
"She must have been training to vent some frustration as well," Issei replied to Solomon, who hummed in agreement. "I also do not sense any other presence with my skill aside from Asia."
"Let's look around." He said, Asia, giving him a nod as they began to look around the area for anything unusual. Even some feathers would be good, but strangely enough, there was nothing of the sort around here. In fact, there were not even feathers around, which was odd. He knows for a fact Raynare tends to leave feathers around, as he noticed them among her clothing from time to time.
But as he looked around, even looking up at the trees, he found nothing. Even his [Aura Sense] was not picking up anything, which only reinforced the belief that, if Raynare was kidnapped, then whoever did it took her away out of his range, but at the same time, this place couldn't have been thrashed only by her training. Although possible, he had to consider the possibility that she fought back, as he never forbade her to defend herself.
If there was a fight here, that means there had to be tracks of some kind in the ground, so he began to inspect that. Apart from his and Asia's tracks, he saw nothing apart from what must have been Raynare's tracks. But then, something else caught his attention. A branch fell from the tree above Asia and startled her as the branch landed behind her. "Eep!" She jumped, turning around to see the branch. "Just a branch…"
"No." Issei said, looking up to now see the biggest clue yet. "Not just a branch, Asia." the girl looked up, and sure enough, they now saw what they did not notice before. The trees had marks on them, but they were too high to have been done from the ground. There were also multiple broken branches. "This was not a fight on the ground, but one in the air. Raynare was fighting airborne enemies."
"Oh no…Do you think they took her?" Asia asked, worried, but Issei knew some facts based on her seal.
"Most likely, but I can at least tell she is still alive. I can still sense the seal siphoning some of my reserves to maintain itself. But I do not know if she is harmed, and if she is, I cannot tell how badly she is hurt." He stated, bringing at least SOME relief to Asia's expression. "Asia, go back to the others and tell Rias and Kuroka to set up a security barrier around the mansion. Whatever attacked Raynare could still be lurking about the place, and it may assault the others too."
"What about you? Are you going to search for Raynare?"
"I am," Issei stated, bringing out his Sacred Gear. Asia nodded, then she made her way back to the mansion, leaving Issei to look toward the forest. He began walking, taking a quickened step and attempting to feel around for anything out of the ordinary.
"What kind of creature could have attacked Raynare?" Solomon asked, trying to think. "We know Japan is full of creatures, known as Youkai, but they are ruled by that Yasaka woman, correct?"
"Yes and No. From what I recall, she holds the most authority, but there are some groups of Youkai that don't fully agree with her rule. There are quite a few that could have done this, but given our location, only one candidate comes to mind." Ddraig stated. "The Tengu."
"The Tengu? I thought they were benevolent Youkai." Issei stated, voicing his confusion.
"Benevolent, yes. But only to Shinto believers, as they are the ones who even worship them as either minor deities or guardian spirits. I only saw their handy work once, through one of my past hosts. They are very aggressive toward Buddhist monks, going as far as possessing women to corrupt them, among other things."
"That doesn't explain why they'd attack and capture Raynare. She is not related to the Buddhas." Issei pointed out.
"Maybe they are also aggressive to other beings outside the Shinto pantheon?" Solomon suggested.
"Very likely. But if that is the case, why didn't they attack the others as well?"
"Because they are not fools," Issei stated, stopping briefly. "We have numbers and a good amount of power behind us, not to mention they might realize that Rias and her peerage are off-limits. Too many political issues there."
"And Raynare is part of our party, but not a very protected one," Solomon added to Issei's analysis. "My word, this is quite problematic. But what is their end goal in this?"
"We will need to find out," Issei stated, continuing onward through the woods. So far, he has managed to spot certain marks on the branches and even saw one or two which were broken. Most likely, branches that broke due to carrying something heavy, like another person.
One thing was for certain…He is going to be busy.